European Journal of Investigation in Health Psychology and Education最新文献

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most stressful events in recent times across the world. The long-term effect of these experiences raises several concerns, including the development of post-traumatic stress symptomatology. However, little is known about the psychological processes that mediate this association. The aim of this study was to explore the association of emotional exhaustion and anxiety in post-traumatic stress symptomatology, and the mediating role of resilience and psychological well-being in university students. A total of 526 university students of both sexes participated in this study, and they were aged between 17 and 62 years old. Symptoms of anxiety and emotional exhaustion were significantly higher in females, in contrast, males showed on average more resilience and psychological well-being. Additionally, participants with COVID-19 infection had higher levels of emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and PTSD. The results indicated that the variables were correlated with each other (p < 0.001). A conceptual model was confirmed that describes anxiety and emotional exhaustion as predictors, post-traumatic stress symptomatology as an outcome variable, and resilience and psychological well-being as mediators. Resilience and psychological well-being can be important protective factors for adaptive responses in stressful situations. The findings obtained in this study will provide a theoretical basis for designing targeted interventions to improve psychological health, whether for crisis intervention, the process of adapting to higher education, or for recovery plans from psychological trauma.

Aggressive student behavior is considered one of the main risk factors for teacher stress. The present study investigated teachers' physiological and behavioral reactions when facing aggressive student behavior and examined which resources favor adaptive teacher reactions. The sample included 42 teachers. We assessed (a) teacher self-reports (i.e., resources, risk factors, and vital exhaustion) (b) classroom observations, (c) ambulatory assessments of teachers' heart rate and heart rate variability, and (d) teachers' progesterone concentrations in the hair. The present study focused on a subsample of ten teachers (9 females, Mage = 34.70, SD = 11.32) managing classes which were potentially very stressful as they had a high density of aggressive behavior. High levels of work satisfaction, hair progesterone, and a low level of work overload fostered social integrative teacher responses. Moreover, in 75% of the cases, teachers succeeded in downregulating their physiological reaction. Our results support the notion that teachers evaluate stressors in light of their resources. When they perceive their resources as insufficient for coping with a challenging situation, stress arises, and subsequently, they react inefficiently to aggressive behavior. Thus, teacher education could benefit from strengthening teacher resources and strategies for coping with aggressive student behavior.

The mother-child attachment relationship is a cornerstone of human development, with profound implications for the well-being of both the mother and child [...].

(1) Background: This study assesses the impact of mothers' illness perceptions about autism spectrum disorder and their coping strategies on the family's quality of life during the initial period following diagnosis and one year afterward. (2) Method: The sample consisted of 53 mothers of children newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and having communication difficulties who completed the following: the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and the Brief-COPE. (3) Results: The findings revealed a moderate family quality of life in the initial assessment and a lack of a statistically significant change one year later. Notably, statistically significant changes were observed in coping strategies, as in the second assessment, and the score in denial and self-blame decreased. Pearson and Eta analyses indicated several correlations between socio-demographic characteristics, illness perceptions, coping strategies, and family quality of life. Multiple regression analysis showed that positive reframing was positively associated with total family quality of life in the initial period following diagnosis and one year afterward, while self-blame was associated with poorer quality of life in the time after diagnosis. Furthermore, the belief about the controllability of the disorder was correlated with better family quality of life one year after the diagnosis. (4) Conclusions: Illness perceptions and coping can be considered as predictors of family quality of life outcomes one year after the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The focus of interventions, apart from controlling the disorder's symptoms, should aim to strengthen specific strategies and weaken others.

A relationship has been recognized between social media use and health issues. However, no studies have explored the potential link between social media use and consumption of over-the-counter (OTC) medications. We examined social media use, self-reported anxiety, depression, sleep problems, pain, and OTC medications use among Norwegian university students. The goal was to gain insights that would guide preventive health strategies for this target group. A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted with an online questionnaire distributed to university student Facebook groups in Norway. A total of 132 completed surveys were analyzed. Among the respondents, 28% experienced anxiety, 35% depression, 64% sleep problems, 71% headaches, and 78% musculoskeletal pain. Moreover, 56% reported using OTC analgesics or sleep aids, mostly purchased from community pharmacies. No statistically significant correlation was found between social media use and headache, musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbances, or consumption of OTC medications among university students in Norway. The findings, however, demonstrated a positive trend, highlighting the need for further research with larger, more diverse samples, and potentially employing a qualitative or longitudinal design. We propose increased awareness of the potential negative effects of social media among university students, the inclusion of social media and health topics in study curricula, and the more proactive engagement of community pharmacists with young clients concerning the consumption of OTC medications.

Background: Warfare represents a significant source of stress in contemporary times, with enduring implications beyond the immediate casualties, fostering a pervasive atmosphere of danger and anxiety within affected populations. The Israel-Hamas war, marked by ongoing armed incursions and missile attacks, stands as a recent example of such turmoil, inflicting widespread trauma and disruption.

Methods: This study, conducted among students at the Ashkelon Academic College in southern Israel, aimed to investigate the stress levels and associated factors amidst the ongoing conflict. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 625 participants between January and February 2024, approximately four months after the commencement of the initial attack. The survey encompassed demographic information, perceived stress levels, sleep quality, and social media usage.

Results: The findings revealed moderate to high stress levels among participants, with significant differences observed based on gender, parental status, and residency in conflict zones. Moreover, poorer sleep quality was reported among students residing in conflict-affected areas. Regression analysis identified several predictors of elevated stress, including gender, parental status, sleep quality, residency in conflict zones, and social media usage.

Conclusions: These findings underscore the profound impact of ongoing conflict on college students' mental well-being, highlighting the need for tailored interventions and support services within higher education institutions. The limitations include the study's focus on a specific college population and the timing of the data collection relative to the onset of the war. Nonetheless, this research contributes valuable insights concerning the stress dynamics within the unique context faced by Israeli students amidst ongoing warfare.

Considerable evidence links the "Big Five" personality traits (neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness) with depression. However, potential mediating and moderating factors are less well understood. We utilized data from a cross-sectional survey of 3065 German-speaking adults from the D-A-CH region to estimate multivariable-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervalsbetween personality traits and lifetime prevalence of depression (overall and stratified by sex and age). We further explored proportions mediated by psychosocial factors optimism, empathy, perspective-taking, work-life balance, and interpersonal trust. High levels of neuroticism were associated with more than two-fold higher odds of depression, whereas higher levels of conscientiousness were associated with approximately 30% lower odds of depression. The association with neuroticism persisted in all investigated subgroups; apparently, stronger associations for females and participants aged ≥60 years did not correspond to statistically significant interactions. Overall and across all strata, the association of neuroticism with depression appeared to be mediated in part by the considered psychosocial factors; optimism explained the largest proportion of the association. Our results provide empirical evidence for the dynamic predisposition model. Further investigations of these relationships are warranted in longitudinal data with more precise outcome assessments.

In our pursuit of a fulfilling and contented life, the study of well-being has emerged as a fundamental field of research. Higher levels of well-being are associated with better mental health outcomes. Individuals with better mental health might possess the personal resources necessary to set and pursue meaningful goals, maintain positive expectations, and overcome adversities. We aim to explore the positive relationship between well-being (hedonic, psychological, and social) and dispositional hope. We suggest that mental health acts as a mediator in this relationship, since improved mental health can create a conducive environment for the development and maintenance of dispositional hope. Data were collected using an e-survey through social media during the last quarter of 2022. The hypothesis of this study was tested using mediation analysis. The sample was composed of 471 participants (85.4% female) with a mean age of 47.72 ± 11.86 years. Participants were mainly workers (88.6%), followed by pensioners (6.8%), university students (2.5%), and unemployed (2.1%). Results revealed that well-being was positively and significantly associated with dispositional hope. Additionally, well-being presented a significant and positive relationship with mental health, which, in turn, also presented a significant and positive relationship with dispositional hope. Finally, using the Hayes process macro for SPSS, we found that mental health mediates the relationship between well-being and dispositional hope. Our findings reinforce the conceptual frameworks that consider well-being and mental health as key contributors to a resilient and optimistic mindset. Interventions that aim to cultivate positive affect, facilitate personal growth, and foster supportive social environments might help improve mental health outcomes.

Background: For military leaders, military values and virtues are important psychological prerequisites for successful leadership and for ethical and moral military behavior. However, research on predictors of military values and virtues is scarce. Given this background, we investigated whether Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), resilience, and vulnerable narcissism might be favorably or unfavorably associated with military values and virtues, and whether vulnerable narcissism could moderate the association between the OCB-by-resilience-interaction, and military virtues. Methods: A total of 214 officer cadets (mean age: 20.75 years; 96.8% males) of the Swiss Armed Forces (SAF) volunteered to take part in this cross-sectional study. They completed a booklet of self-rating scales covering dimensions of military values and military virtues, OCB, resilience, and vulnerable narcissism. Results: Higher scores for military virtues were associated with higher scores for military values, OCB, and resilience, and with lower scores for vulnerable narcissism. Multiple regression models showed that higher scores for OCB and resilience were associated with military values and virtues. Vulnerable narcissism moderated the association between military virtues, and the OCB-by-resilience-interaction: the higher the vulnerable narcissism, the more the OCB-by-resilience-interaction was associated with lower scores for military virtues. Conclusions: Among cadets of the SAF, the associations between military values, military virtues, OCB, and resilience were highly intertwined, while vulnerable narcissism appeared to attenuate the association between military virtues, OCB, and resilience.

The results regarding the relationship between creativity in virtual work environments and its influence on emotional exhaustion are inconclusive. Furthermore, autonomy, when it loses its original purpose of acting as a job resource, takes on an ambiguous role that needs further research.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between creativity and emotional exhaustion, along with the role assumed by work autonomy in this link, in an online work context.

Methodology: The sample was formed of 448 employees with university studies. The statistical analysis was conducted through a simple moderation process.

Results: Creativity and work autonomy mitigate emotional exhaustion. In fact, work autonomy plays a moderating role regarding the relationship between creativity and emotional exhaustion. Control over work surely reduces the impact of work-related stressors, and this safety climate promotes adaptive and original responses that improve employees' emotional health. However, when creative demands coincide with an autonomy that extends working hours, instead of establishing limits, this supposed benefit becomes a demand that prevents employees from disconnecting, until emotionally exhausting them.

Conclusion: A virtual work environment is an ideal habitat for creativity and self-management to improve employees' emotional health, as long as work autonomy acts as a resource.